Page 140 of Anything To Be With You

"Get. Out." Mason says so low, I can barely hear him.

Josh starts laughing. "And what are you going to do, son?" Josh takes a swing at Mason, catching him in the jaw. Mason throws a punch of his own, knocking Josh back a step.

"Think you’re tough," Josh spits blood on the floor. "A whore raised you. You’re nothing but a mama’s boy." He shoves Mason, hardly moving him. "How many kids do you have running around, Mason."

"I could ask you the same thing." Mason says icily.

Josh takes another swing and Mason catches Josh’s fist before it connects.

"I can tell you one thing," Mason says, twisting Josh’s fist. Josh drops to his knees with a whimper as Mason twists his wrist again. "If I did have kids—which I don’t, I wouldn’t leave them high and dry because my daddy told me too."

"She didn’t even want you. Did she tell you that?"

I grip Mason’s arm with my functioning hand.

"She wanted to abort your sorry ass." Josh lies.

"Okay." Mason shrugs, letting everything Josh is saying roll off his back.

"Said that having a baby would ruin her life." Josh’s face is flushed. "You’re the reason she tried to kill herself. You were a horrible child and she had to get away from you."

No one but my parents and Erin knew about that and it had nothing to do with Mason and everything to do with me.

"How would you know, you weren’t around." Mason replies.

"People talk, son. And I know a lot of people." Josh sneers.

Mason lets go of his fist and Josh stands, lunging for Mason but never connects.

I look around Mason. "Gabe?" How did I not hear him come in or up the stairs?

"The cops are on the way, baby girl," he says in a voice that does not sound like my sweet Gabe. He lands blow after blow, until Josh’s face is swollen and unrecognizable.

"Gabe! Gabe stop!" I yell.

Breathing heavy, Gabe sits back on his heels, his knuckles covered in blood. Josh isn’t moving and his face is a bloody pile of mush. I hear sirens, stopping in front of my house and banging on the door.

"Stay here." Gabe says as he heads down the stairs.

I grip Mason’s waist. "You okay, Bubba?"

He nods and I feel the slight tremor of his body. He says nothing as he pulls me out from behind him and wraps his arms around my waist, lifting me off the floor. I hold onto my baby as silent sobs rack his large body.

"I wanted you the minute the stick said positive, and the moment I held you," I pull back to touch his cheek, making his eyes meet mine. "I knew I never wanted to let you go."

Mason hiccups out a sob.

"You’re my baby boy. My whole world revolves around you."

His arms squeeze me tighter as he buries his face in my neck. I rub his back to sooth him.

"Is it true?" he mutters.

"Is what true?"

"Did you try to kill yourself because of me?"

Fuck.

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